Various automobile, vehicle or car covers have been designed and used to protect automobiles, whether they are parked in a garage or other structure or outdoors and exposed to the elements. Such covers are useful to provide temporary protection from one or more of natural elements such as rain and snow; sunlight, dust, tree sap, bird droppings and the like. The prior art covers have been offered in a variety of configurations and have been aimed at specific models of a vehicle and also in generic versions. Covers have been designed to cover automobiles or vehicles completely as well as cover only a portion of the automobile such as a hood, roof, or trunk as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,977 relates to a one man automobile cover and has for an object to provide, in combination with a flexible cover for an automobile, a device to reportedly enable the cover to be easily and quickly placed over the automobile and quickly and easily removed therefrom and folded into a small bundle, all by a single person working from one side only of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,421 relates to a reportedly self-storing, retractable automobile cover apparatus that includes a pair of end plates joined in spaced apart disposition by a plurality of rigid tubes. The apparatus is removably secured to one bumper of the auto, and the free end of the deployed cover is releasably hooked to the other bumper. When the hooks are released, the spring tension causes the tubular reel to rotate and wind the cover thereabout, the cover passing through the fixed guides to control the takeup of the cover onto the tubular reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,823 relates to a remotely controlled power-assisted vehicle cover attached to a take-up spool winding and unwinding mechanism which is housed in an eccentric-shaped containment tube, mounted under the front or back bumper areas of a vehicle. The vehicle cover is extracted from the cylindrical cover containment tube and placed over a vehicle by a wand fastened to the leading edge of the vehicle cover and houses a wireless control system including a remote motor control and a transmitter to send: on/off, single or variable speed, and reversing controls to the drive motor of the cover extracting/retracting mechanism. In addition to controlling the cover drive motor, the control wand is used to physically guide the protective cover on or off the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,842 relates to a self-storing, retractable automobile cover apparatus includes a pair of end plates joined in spaced apart disposition by a plurality of rigid tubes. The apparatus is removably secured to one bumper of the auto, and the free end of the deployed cover is extendable to the other bumper. To retract the car cover, the motor is actuated by a switch connected thereto and disposed at the free end of the car cover to rotate and wind the cover about the tubular reel, the cover passing through the fixed guides to reportedly control the takeup of the cover onto the tubular reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,988 relates to a car cover storage device reportedly for allowing easy, quick and convenient storage of a car cover. The car cover storage device of the present invention comprises a container having an opening with an axle disposed within. The axle is rotated by applying pressure on a handle which is connected to the axle. As the handle is rotated, the car cover is retracted through the opening to wrap around the axle. The car cover storage device reportedly eliminates awkward folding and unfolding of the car cover and allows the car cover to be conveniently stored in the trunk of the car or in some location remote from the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,196 relates to a system for the deploying and storing of an automobile cover. The cover having one end adapted to covering and being secured to the end of the automobile opposite from the trunk, and the other end attached to the roller. The operator can deploy the cover by pulling it from the back of the trunk over the trunk lid, and over the car, securing it to front bumper. The trunk can be closed after the cover is secured to the front bumper, thus securing the system inside the trunk.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,446 relates to a retractable vehicle cover apparatus for covering a vehicle comprising an elongated, hollow housing, and axle disposed therein for rotation about a central axis, and an elongated cover having a proximal end coupled with the axle and also having a distal end.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,868 relates to a reportedly protective automobile cover apparatus that can be conveniently deployed or stored by one person in approximately one minute. It includes two containers with a flexible cover sheet stowed in the first container in a free-folded form. The first container has a length similar to the width of the opening of the trunk and is stored in the second container in its storage position. In its operative position, the first container rests on the rear bumper and is anchored relative to the vehicle by straps caught by the second container which is secured inside the trunk compartment of the automobile. The user grasps a handle element to extract and display the cover sheet from the first container without the need of unfolding the cover. The user can also reportedly uncover the automobile and stuff the cover sheet into the first container, without the need of compactly folding the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,982 relates to a vehicle cover device having a housing integral with an axle having a folding crank handle to utilize a reeling action useful in the withdrawing and retracting of a folding cover comprised of a sheet like material that when withdrawn can be expanded to cover a vehicles body by manipulation of an end rod attached to said folding covers end portion that is pulled through the jam of a trunk and over a vehicles forward body to effectively protect said vehicle.
Japanese Abstract 06064448 relates to a device that reportedly works as covering a car body with a car body cover and uncovering of the car body cover to be reportedly done in a short time without assistance by providing two rotary type roller bars at the front section of a roll.
In view of the above, a problem of the invention is to design a cover assembly for an automobile that is effective in aiding in the installation and removal of an automobile cover, provide a cover assembly that can be utilized by a single person, and yet further provide a cover assembly that is compact, and is easily storable when not in use. Additionally, a cover assembly should be provided that reduces or prevents bunching and/or balling of the cover.